Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2012 / Proposed Rules 26993 

4See http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/commission/secys/2010/secy2010-0165/ 

2010-0165scy.pdf. 

start the formal rulemaking process. 

Changes will also need to be made to 

any 10 CFR Part 61 performance 

assessment guidance document to 

address the recent June 2012 direction. 

The completion date for submittal of a 

revised rulemaking package is currently 

July 19, 2013. 

The Commission also directed the 

staff to gather information on the 

options presented in SECY–10–0165, 

dated December 27, 2010,4 concerning 

the staff’s approach to a risk-informing 

10 CFR Part 61. Previously, the NRC 

staff sponsored an earlier workshop on 

SECY–10–0165, on March 4, 2011 (76 

FR 10810). The staff intends to seek the 

public’s views on various proposals for 

a risk-informed revision of 10 CFR Part 

61. 

IV. Emerging Issues Concerning 10 CFR 

Part 61 

The NRC staff has also conducted 

other activities related to 10 CFR Part 

61. These include revisions to the 

Commission’s ‘‘Policy Statement on 

Volume Reduction and Low-Level 

Radioactive Waste Management’’ (76 FR 

50500; August 15, 2011); and the 

‘‘Branch Technical Position on 

Concentration Averaging’’ (76 FR 4739; 

January 26, 2011). Through the course of 

those stakeholder interactions, the staff 

received comments and suggestions 

relevant to the more comprehensive 

revision of 10 CFR Part 61. For example, 

stakeholders have recommended 

changes that would lengthen the period 

of institutional controls and allow a sitespecific intruder assessment. Some 

stakeholders have questioned basic 

fundamental tenets of 10 CFR Part 61 

including the need to protect the 

inadvertent intruder. The staff intends 

to seek the public’s views on these and 

other stakeholder comments. 

In addition, during the March 2, 2012, 

public meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, 

several stakeholders expressed an 

interest in expanding the scope of the 

ongoing 10 CFR Part 61 rulemaking 

beyond the Commission’s current 

January 2012 direction. For example, 

the following specific suggestions were 

proposed in connection with any 

potentially expanded 10 CFR Part 61 

rulemaking. 

• Update the § 61.55 tables to include 

the latest dose conversion factors and 

dose methodologies. 

• Expand the current duration of 

institutional controls in 10 CFR Part 61 

from 100 to 300 years. 

• Address the issue of the overreporting of certain isotopes that are 

required to be identified by the 10 CFR 

Part 20 LLW manifest shipping report 

(60 FR 15649). 

• Develop specific licensing criteria 

for the disposal of greater-than-Class C 

LLW. 

• Develop screening criteria 

pertaining to the disposal of low-activity 

radioactive wastes. 

V. NRC Public Meeting 

The purpose of this public meeting is 

to gather information from stakeholders 

and other interested members of the 

public concerning the rulemaking 

proposals identified by the Commission 

in its January 2012 SRM. This overall 

approach is consistent with the NRC’s 

openness policy and is consistent with 

the type of public outreach initiative 

originally used by the NRC staff to 

develop 10 CFR Part 61. The May 15, 

2012, public meeting will be organized 

into two parts. In the first part, the NRC 

staff will seek public feedback on the 

pros and cons of the four technical 

issues specifically identified by the 

Commission in its January 2012 SRM. In 

the second part, the staff will identify 

other technical issues identified by 

stakeholders bearing on the 10 CFR Part 

61 rule and seek public feedback on the 

merits of these possible additional 

changes that have been suggested in 

connection with other on-going LLW 

regulatory initiatives. The staff will also 

summarize the public comments 

received during the March 2, 2012, 

Public Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. To 

the extent that members of the public 

might have comments on SECY–10– 

0165, the staff would also welcome 

public feedback on that topic. 

The public meeting will be held on 

May 15, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 

p.m. at the Cooper Hotel Conference 

Center & Spa, 12230 Preston Road, 

Dallas, Texas 75230. Pre-registration for 

this meeting is not necessary. Members 

of the public choosing to participate in 

this meeting remotely can do so in one 

of two ways—online, or via a telephone 

(audio) connection. Instructions for 

remote participation in this meeting 

follow. 

Interested members of the public can 

also participate in this meeting via 

Webinar. The Webinar meeting 

registration link can be found at: https: 

//www1.gotomeeting.com/pjoin/ 

679771561/105859216. The Webinar ID 

is 679–771–561. After registering, 

instructions for joining the Webinar 

(including a teleconference number and 

pass code) will be provided via email. 

All participants will be in ‘‘listen-only’’ 

mode during the presentation. 

Participants will have a chance to pose 

questions either orally after the 

presentation or in writing during the 

Webinar. 

To receive a call back, provide your 

phone number when you join the 

meeting, or call the following number 

and enter the access code: 

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 

1–888–970–4129. The Webinar access 

code is 66725. 

The agenda for the public meeting 

will be noticed no fewer than ten (10) 

days prior to the meeting on the NRC’s 

Public Meeting Schedule Web site at 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ 

public-meetings/index.cfm. The last 

public meeting is tentatively planned 

for July 19, 2012, in Rockville, 

Maryland. For details on this meeting, 

please monitor the NRC’s Public 

Meeting Schedule Web site at http:// 

www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/index.cfm or the Docket ID for 

the 10 CFR Part 61 rulemaking, NRC– 

2011–0012, on www.regulations.gov. 

Questions about participation in the 

public meetings should be directed to 

the points of contact listed in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 

this document. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day 

of May 2012. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Andrew Persinko, 

Deputy Director, Environmental Protection 

and Performance Assessment Directorate, 

Division of Waste Management and 

Environmental Protection, Office of Federal 

and State Materials and Environmental 

Management Programs. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11160 Filed 5–7–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0426; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–NM–087–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

The Boeing Company Model 737–600, 

–700, –800, –900, and –900ER series 

airplanes. This proposed AD was 

prompted by reports that certain seat 

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26994 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2012 / Proposed Rules 

track bolts were found with severed 

head bolts due to fatigue. This proposed 

AD would require replacing titanium 

seat track bolts with corrosion resistant 

steel (CRES) bolts, repetitive inspections 

for cracking of the splice strap and 

forward seat track holes, and related 

investigative and corrective actions if 

necessary. This proposed AD also 

provides an optional terminating action 

for the repetitive inspections. We are 

proposing this AD to detect and correct 

missing or severed bolt heads, which, if 

not corrected, could result in the 

inability of the seat track to carry 

passenger loads, which could cause the 

seats to detach from the seat track, 

resulting in possible injury to 

passengers during an emergency 

landing. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by June 22, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, P. O. Box 3707, 

MC 2H–65, Seattle, Washington 98124– 

2207; telephone 206–544–5000, 

extension 1; fax 206–766–5680; email 

me.boecom@boeing.com; Internet 

https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You 

may review copies of the referenced 

service information at the FAA, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 

Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington. 

For information on the availability of 

this material at the FAA, call 425–227– 

1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Management Facility between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 

docket contains this proposed AD, the 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Office 

(phone: 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patrick Gillespie, Aerospace Engineer, 

Cabin Safety and Environmental 

Systems Branch, ANM–150S, FAA, 

Seattle Aircraft Certification Office 

(ACO), 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; phone: 425– 

917–6429; fax: 425–917–6590; email: 

patrick.gillespie@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposal. Send your comments to 

an address listed under the ADDRESSES

section. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2012–0426; Directorate Identifier 2011– 

NM–087–AD’’ at the beginning of your 

comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD because of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

about this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

We received reports indicating that 

the seat track bolts at Station 727B, 

buttock lines (BL) 24.75 and 45.50 left 

and right sides, were found with 

severed bolt heads due to fatigue. 

Missing or severed bolt heads, if not 

detected and corrected, could result in 

the inability of the seat track to carry 

passenger loads, which could cause the 

seats to detach from the seat track, 

resulting in possible injury to 

passengers during an emergency 

landing. 

Relevant Service Information 

We reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 737–53– 

1296, dated January 11, 2011. That 

service information describes 

procedures for replacing titanium seat 

track bolts with CRES bolts, repetitive 

inspections for cracking of the splice 

strap and forward seat track holes, and 

related investigative and corrective 

actions if necessary. 

Related investigative action includes 

detailed inspection and high frequency 

eddy current (HFEC) inspections for 

cracking in holes common to the splice 

strap and forward seat track. 

Corrective actions include contacting 

Boeing for repair instructions, repairing, 

replacing missing or severed titanium 

seat track bolts with CRES bolts, and 

replacing a cracked splice strap with a 

new slice strap. Replacing the missing 

or severed seat track bolts and installing 

the new splice strap eliminates the need 

for the repetitive splice strap 

inspections at Station 727B, BL 24.75 

and 45.50, left and right sides, on all 

airplanes. 

For the inspections for cracking of the 

splice strap and forward seat track holes 

and replacement of missing or severed 

seat track bolts, the service information 

specifies an initial compliance time of 

before 7,000 total flight cycles or within 

24 months after the issue date of the 

service bulletin, and a repetitive interval 

of 7,000 flight cycles. 

FAA’s Determination 

We are proposing this AD because we 

evaluated all the relevant information 

and determined the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop in other products of these same 

type designs. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously, except as discussed below. 

Differences Between Proposed AD and 

Service Bulletin 

Although Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 737–53–1296, dated 

January 11, 2011, specifies that 

operators may contact the manufacturer 

for disposition of certain repair 

conditions, this proposed AD would 

require operators to repair those 

conditions using a method approved by 

the FAA. 

Although Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 737–53–1296, dated 

January 11, 2011, specifies the sequence 

of steps performed in that service 

bulletin can be changed, this proposed 

AD would require operators to perform 

the repair using the sequence of steps in 

that service bulletin. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

affects 168 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this proposed AD: 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2012 / Proposed Rules 26995 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Replace bolts and install new splice strap .......... 18 work-hours × $85 per hour = $1,530 ........... $1,991 $3,521 $591,528 

Repetitive Inspection ........................................... 3 work-hours × $85 per hour = $255 ................ 0 255 42,840 

We have received no definitive data 

that would enable us to provide cost 

estimates for the on-condition actions 

specified in this proposed AD. 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

Title 49 of the United States Code 

specifies the FAA’s authority to issue 

rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, 

section 106, describes the authority of 

the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: 

Aviation Programs, describes in more 

detail the scope of the Agency’s 

authority. 

We are issuing this rulemaking under 

the authority described in Subtitle VII, 

Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: 

‘‘General requirements.’’ Under that 

section, Congress charges the FAA with 

promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in 

air commerce by prescribing regulations 

for practices, methods, and procedures 

the Administrator finds necessary for 

safety in air commerce. This regulation 

is within the scope of that authority 

because it addresses an unsafe condition 

that is likely to exist or develop on 

products identified in this rulemaking 

action. 

Regulatory Findings 

We determined that this proposed AD 

would not have federalism implications 

under Executive Order 13132. This 

proposed AD would not have a 

substantial direct effect on the States, on 

the relationship between the national 

Government and the States, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify this proposed regulation: 

(1) Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory 

action’’ under Executive Order 12866, 

(2) Is not a ‘‘significant rule’’ under 

the DOT Regulatory Policies and 

Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 

1979), 

(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation 

in Alaska, and 

(4) Will not have a significant 

economic impact, positive or negative, 

on a substantial number of small entities 

under the criteria of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 

39 as follows: 

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS 

DIRECTIVES 

1. The authority citation for part 39 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701. 

§ 39.13 [Amended] 

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding 

the following new airworthiness 

directive (AD): 

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA– 

2012–0426; Directorate Identifier 2011– 

NM–087–AD. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

We must receive comments by June 22, 

2012. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to The Boeing Company 

Model 737–600, –700, –800, –900, and 

–900ER series airplanes, with passenger seats 

installed; certificated in any category; as 

identified in Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 737–53–1296, dated January 

11, 2011. 

(d) Subject 

Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/ 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of America 

Code 53: Fuselage. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports that 

certain seat track bolts were found with 

severed bolt heads due to fatigue. We are 

issuing this AD to detect and correct missing 

or severed bolt heads, which, if not corrected, 

could result in the inability of the seat track 

to carry passenger loads, which could cause 

the seats to detach from the seat track, 

resulting in possible injury to passengers 

during an emergency landing. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Seat Track Bolt Replacement and Splice 

Strap Installation 

Before the accumulation of 7,000 total 

flight cycles, or within 24 months after the 

effective date of this AD, whichever occurs 

later, replace titanium seat track bolts with 

corrosion resistant steel (CRES) bolts at both 

the left and right sides of buttock lines 24.75 

and 45.50, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–53– 

1296, dated January 11, 2011. If a titanium 

seat track bolt is found missing from the 

structure during the accomplishment of the 

tasks required by this paragraph: Before 

further flight, do a high frequency eddy 

current (HFEC) inspection for cracking in the 

fastener holes and do a general visual 

inspection of the area, including the splice 

strap and forward seat track for damage, and 

replace missing bolts with new or serviceable 

CRES bolts, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–53– 

1296, dated January 11, 2011. If cracking or 

damage is found: Before further flight, repair 

in accordance with a method approved by 

the Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification 

Office (ACO), FAA. For a repair method to 

be approved, the repair must meet the 

certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(h) Detailed and High Frequency Eddy 

Current Inspections 

Before the accumulation of 7,000 total 

flight cycles, or within 24 months after the 

effective date of this AD, whichever occurs 

later: Do a detailed inspection and an HFEC 

inspection for cracking in the holes common 

to the splice strap and forward seat track at 

both the left and right sides of buttock lines 

24.75 and 45.50, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–53– 

1296, dated January 11, 2011. Repeat the 

inspections thereafter at intervals not to 

exceed 7,000 flight cycles, until the actions 

specified in paragraph (i) of this AD have 

been done. 

(1) If a crack is found in the splice strap 

during any inspection required by paragraph 

(h) of this AD: Before further flight, replace 

the seat track bolts and install a new splice 

strap part number (P/N) 146A5342–26 and 

retained angle at the affected location, in 

accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 737–53–1296, dated January 

11, 2011. 

(2) If a crack is found in the seat track 

during any inspection required by paragraph 

(h) of this AD, and Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 737–53–1296, dated January 

11, 2011, specifies to contact Boeing for 

appropriate action: Before further flight, 

repair the seat track in accordance with a 

method approved by the Manager, Seattle 

ACO, FAA. For a repair method to be 

approved, the repair must meet the 

certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

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26996 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2012 / Proposed Rules 

(i) Optional Terminating Action 

Replacing the titanium seat track bolts with 

CRES bolts on both the left and right sides 

of buttock lines 24.75 and 45.50 at Station 

727B, and installing a new splice strap P/N 

146A5342–26, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–53– 

1296, dated January 11, 2011, terminates the 

repetitive inspections required by paragraph 

(h) of this AD. 

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Seattle ACO, FAA, has 

the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, 

if requested using the procedures found in 14 

CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, 

send your request to your principal inspector 

or local Flight Standards District Office, as 

appropriate. If sending information directly 

to the manager of the ACO, send it to the 

attention of the person identified in the 

Related Information section of this AD. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-ANMSeattle-ACO-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov. 

(2) Before using any approved AMOC, 

notify your appropriate principal inspector, 

or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 

of the local flight standards district office/ 

certificate holding district office. 

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable 

level of safety may be used for any repair 

required by this AD if it is approved by 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Organization 

Designation Authorization (ODA) that has 

been authorized by the Manager, Seattle 

ACO, to make those findings. For a repair 

method to be approved, the repair must meet 

the certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(k) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Patrick Gillespie, Aerospace 

Engineer, Cabin Safety and Environmental 

Systems Branch, ANM–150S, FAA, Seattle 

Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057– 

3356; phone: 425–917–6429; fax: 425–917– 

6590; email: patrick.gillespie@faa.gov. 

(2) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Boeing Commercial 

Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services 

Management, P.O. Box 3707, MC 2H–65, 

Seattle, Washington 98124–2207; telephone 

206–544–5000, extension 1; fax 206–766– 

5680; email me.boecom@boeing.com; Internet 

https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You may 

review copies of the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

Washington. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, call 

425–227–1221. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 29, 

2012. 

Michael Kaszycki, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11019 Filed 5–7–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0427; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–NM–202–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Airbus Model A320–214 and-232 

airplanes. This proposed AD was 

prompted by reports that medium-head 

fasteners were installed in lieu of shearhead fasteners on a certain upper panel 

which manufacturer fatigue and damage 

tolerance analyses demonstrated could 

have an affect on panel fatigue life. This 

proposed AD would require repetitive 

inspections for cracking of certain 

fasteners, and repairs if necessary. We 

are proposing this AD to detect and 

correct cracking which could result in 

the loss of structural integrity of the 

airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by June 22, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Airbus SAS– 

EAW (Airworthiness Office), 1 Rond 

Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 

Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 

96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; email 

account.airworth-eas@airbus.com; 

Internet http://www.airbus.com. You 

may review copies of the referenced 

service information at the FAA, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 

Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington. 

For information on the availability of 

this material at the FAA, call 425–227– 

1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Operations office between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. The AD docket 

contains this proposed AD, the 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Operations 

office (telephone (800) 647–5527) is in 

the ADDRESSES section. Comments will 

be available in the AD docket shortly 

after receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sanjay Ralhan, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; telephone 

(425) 227–1405; fax (425) 227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposed AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2012–0427; Directorate Identifier 

2011–NM–202–AD’’ at the beginning of 

your comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD based on those comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

about this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Community, has issued EASA 

Airworthiness Directive 2011–0176, 

dated September 13, 2011 (referred to 

after this as ‘‘the MCAI’’), to correct an 

unsafe condition for the specified 

products. The MCAI states: 

A problem was reported during the 

installation of upper panels on Frame 35 in 

Airbus A320 final assembly line. 

Investigations revealed that medium head 

fasteners, Part Number (P/N) EN6114V3, 

were installed in lieu of shear head fasteners, 

P/N ASNA2657V3 and ASNA2043V3, which 

were previously used. Installation of these 

medium head fasteners leads to a deeper 

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